Races Half marathon · Cary, USA
March Madness Half Marathon
March Madness Half Marathon is a rolling half marathon in Cary, USA, held each March. Road course starting and finishing at Cary-Grove High School. The organiser calls it the most challenging half in Northern Illinois, and a race listing rates it as rolling hills. Mid-March mornings in northern Illinois are cold and often windy, typically -1 to 9°C. Cary's rolling course rewards effort-based pacing — hold steady effort on the rises and let the pace return on the descents.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
March
next: Sunday 14 March 2027
Course
rolling
Half marathon
Conditions
Mid-March mornings in northern Illinois are cold and often windy, typically -1 to 9°C.
Racing this course well
Road course starting and finishing at Cary-Grove High School. The organiser calls it the most challenging half in Northern Illinois, and a race listing rates it as rolling hills.
Cary's rolling course rewards effort-based pacing — hold steady effort on the rises and let the pace return on the descents.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
- Entries open
- Entries usually open on 1 September
- Price
- From $75, rising to $90 in March, plus service fees (2026 race)
Official March Madness Half Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Next race
- Sunday 14 March 2027
- Start time
- 08:35
- Time limit
- 3 hours 30 minutes
- Also on the day
- 10k
The course in numbers
- Surface
- Certified road course on open roads
- Men's course record
- 1:05:48 (Mark Plaatjes, 1990)
- Women's course record
- 1:18:21 (Kristina Aubert, 2019)
- Course status
- USATF certified
Worth knowing
- The race is a spring training run for marathoners.
- A first 10k is planned alongside the half in 2027.
Pick your goal for Cary
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common half marathon goals:
The date shown is the one the organiser has announced. Change it if yours differs.
Build your training around March Madness Half Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the March Madness Half Marathon?
- The next March Madness Half Marathon is on Sunday 14 March 2027 in Cary, USA. It is held each March.
- Is the March Madness Half Marathon course flat?
- Road course starting and finishing at Cary-Grove High School. The organiser calls it the most challenging half in Northern Illinois, and a race listing rates it as rolling hills.
- How do I enter the March Madness Half Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served. Entries usually open on 1 September. Price: From $75, rising to $90 in March, plus service fees (2026 race).
- How should I train for the March Madness Half Marathon?
- Match your preparation to March Madness Half Marathon's profile and the March weather, then protect consistency — with RunV Premium you can adapt your plan to fit your week, so one bad week never derails the block.
Not sure what to target? Predict your half marathon time from a recent race →
More half marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Cary — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in March — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
